*We are constantly recruiting native English-speaking facilitator volunteers for the English Social Conversation program! Please see the invitation message at the end of this announcement.
Have you ever wondered what to talk about in a social conversation? Or, as an immigrant, do you sometimes feel it is difficult to join your local co-workers’ conversation because you don’t know the people or things they are talking about, or you have some everyday questions that you would like to know how local people would think or deal with? Or do you just want to find a safe, relaxing and friendly environment to talk to some native English speakers, and enjoy a pleasant conversation?
This dialogue will be conducted in Mandarin. For English introduction please jump to next heading in English.
Frank对话方柏林：过剩时代的有效学习
不用提社交媒体和电子游戏的干扰，单单是丰富的学习资源，各种纷纷涌现的机会，已经让这个年代的人应接不暇，于是我们把这个时代称为过剩时代。如何有效地学习是当下困扰人们的重要问题之一。在美国大学担任教育设计专家的方柏林博士，也是《过剩时代的学习》和《知识不是力量》等专著的作者。机械工程学博士Frank Wang 倡导终身学习，业余时间从事教育专栏写作，对新时代的学习方法和专注力培养等问题非常关注。二位嘉宾将作客东西联学社，就“过剩时代的学习”以及学者专家们倡导的一些新学习方式展开对话与讨论。
Shaoxuan Zhou (Joe), a professional architect and urban designer, came to our club in July of this year, giving a wonderful lecture on the appreciation of architectural designs. Other than an architect, ‘Coach Joe’ is also a known nickname among his friends: they often go to Joe for fitness advice, some finding it life-changing. It all started from a casual enrollment in a community gym in Beijing in 2005. At the time Joe had been bothered by stomach ulcer and insomnia for years. He even stopped his indie architecture design practice, spending most of the time on all kinds of sports in a hope to get his health back on the track, but had progressed very little. To his great surprise, Joe saw remarkable improvement in all of his symptoms within one month after he started the workout, and felt like overhauled after three months. Ever since then, Joe’s fascination with fitness training has driven him to educate himself on kinesiology, and become an personal trainer for himself, families and friends, in addition to a happy, healthy and successful architect again. Exercises, if done in a right way, is bound to bring life-changing benefits to your health, according to Joe, as he has witnessed himself!
At East and West Learning Connections, we have been holding an online salon for registered members once a month since July 2022. Members and their families are welcome to take the opportunity to meet each other on Zoom, share recent experience, encounters, thoughts, and hear a guest speaker’s stories. Continue reading “EAWLC Member Salon Minutes”
Have you ever wondered what to talk about in a social conversation? Or, as an immigrant, do you sometimes feel it is difficult to join your local co-workers’ conversation because you don’t know the people or things they are talking about, or you have some everyday questions that you would like to know how local people would think or deal with? Or do you just want to find a safe, relaxing and friendly environment to talk to some native English speakers, and enjoy a pleasant conversation?
Judith Lawrence and her native English-speaking volunteer team are kindly facilitating Social Conversations to address those questions for you at the East and West Learning Connections. They come from all walks of life. We are so delighted to have a group of open-minded, friendly, and fun people as our facilitators! You are welcome to bring your own topics of interest to the program. Register here.
This online club meets ALMOST every week to read books together, chapter by chapter. Club members, who come from diverse backgrounds and live in different countries, take turns to present the chapter(s) they volunteer to lead the reading, and facilitate the breakout room discussion that follows. We welcome you to join us, and bring your unique life experience and perspective to the discussion!
Sessions will take place on Saturdays except for holiday breaks or otherwise notified.
Time: Saturdays from February 1, 2025, 7:30 -9 P.M. (Eastern Time).
Ah, handling difficult conversations—never an easy topic! But it’s one Coach Ric has a lot to say about, and for good reason: people are always asking about it. Among all the useful tips Coach Ric shared, I hope I can remember “firm and fair” when handling difficult situations. The “win and lose” analysis of a conversation is also eye opening. Can we actually “win” a conversation? Find the presentation of this session here.
Come to this 12-session online entrepreneurship lectures offered by Martin Copeland through The East and West Learning Connections for free!
A successful business owner with over 40 years’ experience in practice in both Canada and the U.S., and a business mentor since retirement, Martin would also be happy to answer audience’s questions on everything about entrepreneurship, to share practical advice as well as cultural context, and mindset insight of the business world to help guide early stage entrepreneurs.
This course is developed by Martin specifically for our audience; each lecture will be broken into several sections, and certain sections will relate more specifically to the immigrant community. The total 12 lectures will span over 2025-27 in the quarterly EAWLC Entrepreneurship Mentoring Program.
Peter Hessler (何伟), an award-winning writer and journalist for The New Yorker, will discuss his cross-cultural living experience and reflect on our fast-changing world. He will be interviewed by co-hosts Dr. Fei Song and Ed Shiller and answer questions from the audience.
Peter, a prolific author, has earned widespread admiration for his vivid depictions of the spirit and complexities of contemporary societies by examining the lives of ordinary people, and for his courage in stating inconvenient truths in the face of criticism from both sides in a political conflict.
The East and West Learning Connections proudly presents
A Dialogue with Peter Hessler: Managing Cultural Difference and Political Conflict” On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, from 7:30 – 9:00 P.M. (Eastern Time). Register here.
Peter Hessler (何伟), an award-winning writer and journalist for The New Yorker, will discuss his cross-cultural living experience and reflect on our fast-changing world. He will be interviewed by co-hosts Dr. Fei Song and Ed Shiller and answer questions from the audience.
East and West Learning Connections (EAWLC) is run by volunteers. Without their talents, commitment, and hard work, all the programs we have offered to the public just cannot possibly come into reality. Every year at our Annual General Meeting, our Board chooses a number of winners to receive the EAWLC Outstanding Service Awards based on time commitment, task impact, and organization involvement in the previous year. The award does not apply to board directors, advisors, or guest speakers, even though they are also volunteers to whom we are deeply grateful for their help. Each year there will be friends generously donating some cool items so we can give the winners as a gift. The winners are the representatives of all EAWLC volunteers who all come to help us with a giving heart for the community. Thank you so much, members, volunteers, and donors, for your great support and contributions!
Welcome back to the EAWLC Lunch Coaching Hour Series on Business Communication! This year, we’ll guide you through your career journey—from expanding your professional network and building your personal brand to stepping into leadership, assembling a team, and inspiring others. Register today and grow with us!
Time: On the fourth Thursday @12-1 P.M. (Eastern Time) each month from March to November, excluding July and August.
We are also very grateful to welcome coach Ric back to lead all the sessions this year.
Want to become an Entrepreneur? Already an Entrepreneur and have questions?
Come to this 12-session online entrepreneurship lectures offered by Martin Copeland through The East and West Learning Connections for free!
A successful business owner with over 40 years’ experience in practice in both Canada and the U.S., and a business mentor since retirement, Martin would also be happy to answer audience’s questions on everything about entrepreneurship, to share practical advice as well as cultural context, and mindset insight of the business world to help guide early stage entrepreneurs.
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